On the business side of things, we are slowly gathing information about local EV supplies, and groups of EVers. We have had a few discussions with a local designer/manufacturer of DC controllers, battery chargers, and other electronics - ElectroCraft. This is a very exciting bit of progress. Having local products wil not only help us save on shipping and troubleshooting, but also fits in perfectly with goal of making our 944 as green and environmentally neutral as possible. ElectroCraft offers a number of different controller solutions, and we may be able to add them as a preferred and standard vendor for our future clients' conversions.

From our preliminary discussions, we will likely be sourcing out an 11" DC motor with an 800A controller. We have decided to maintain the existing transmission and clutch system, for a number of reasons - including simplicity and safety. Our next major decision will involve the battery system. Do we grab a dozen or so 12V Yellow Tops from Walmart? Or do we try to source a more advanced battery to increase energy density and lightness?

Budget is a concern of course, but we also need to prove to clients that with a good balance of reducing weight, and investing a little extra in the right technology, they can improve the enjoyment and usefulnes of the car to make it all worthwhile. At the next EV Society meeting in Scarborough, Graham and I will try to talk to one of the members from Electrovaya (a leading Mississauga battery manufacturer) and see if we can get our hands on some of their batteries. But that's not until September.